Sorting machine



Oct. 30, 1923.

' E. NORDSTROM SORTING MACHINE Filed April 24. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Svweutoz Mm Oct. 30 1923.

E NORDSTROM SORTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 24 1922 INVENTOR IV/T/VEJSES @ct. 3Q, l9....3.

PATENT ELOF HORDSTROM, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO AMERICAN DAN BGTTLE SEAL CORPORATIQN, IDDVEB, DELANABE, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

SORTING MACHINE.

Application filed April 24,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enor Nonnsrnoar, a citizen ot the United States, and a resident of East Grange, county of Essex, State of Blew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sorting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for sorting cork inserts that are used in metallic bottle caps. These cork inserts, as they come from the nianutacturer, are not always oi? uniform shape and thickness, and the object of the present invention is to construct a machine which will sort out and reject those which are not oi normal shape. I find that the rejects may be classified as follows:-

a. Those which are too thin.

7). Those which are too thick.

Those which are wedge-shaped. V

The problem. therefore, was to construct a machine which would select these three classes of unsatisfactory inserts, and separate them from those of normal size.

ln th accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 represents in side elevation and partial section a view of the complete apparatus.

Figure 2 is adetail of the supporting mechanism.

Figure is a detail of the selecting cylinder.

Figur 4 is an end view of the selecting cylinder.

Figure 5 is a longitudinalsection of the selecting cylinder.

Figure 6 is a detailed view of the rotatinc evener.

' Referring now to Figure 1, the cork inserts are introduced into the hopper 1,which has a traveling apron or belt 2 adjacent or lying on its inclined lower side 3, whereby the cork inserts 4: ar carried up out of the hopper. The belt is carried and propelled by suitable pulleys A rotating arm 6, mounted on a shaft 7. and driven in adirection contrary to that of the belt, operates to remove and throw back into the hopper any inserts that are not lying flat on the belt, lly this means, a single layer, and a single layer only, is carried up by the belt and over the pulley 5, and slid down on the incline S.- l Vhen they leave this incline, they drop into the upper end of the sorting 1922. Serial No. 556,146.

cylinder 9, as shown more particularly in Figure 5. This cylinder is mounted on an incline, as shown in Figure 1, so that the cork inserts will gradually drift down as the cylinder is rotated, and in tumbling over, will be presented consecutively to the various selective mechanisms. The first half of the cylinder is devoted to eliminating the thin rejects, and for this purpose plates 10 are provided. These plates make up the perimetral walls of the cylinder, and are arranged to overlap each other, but are held apart at their overlapping edges by adjusting screws Said plates are thus adapted to form longitudinal openings of uniform width thruout the length of said plates. For this purpose, the free edge of each of said plates 10 is angularly bent to lie parallel to, the adjacent plate which it overlaps. In the first half of the cylinder, the space thus adjusted between the overlapping edges of the plates is so set as to allow any cork insert to pass through and drop upon the floor, if it is not of sutlicient thickness. In the second half of the cylinder, this adjustment is such that only those inserts which are not too thick will pass through the openings and fall into space 12, in which they are caught by the cylinder casing 13, and from which they may be removed in any suitable way. In the meantime. the thick rejects continue in the cylinder and are finally dumped into chute 14. I

The third class of reiects. namely those which are wcdgeshapcd. will stick in the space between the plate edges and be carried up to the top where they will be dumped into a trough 15 that will carry them out of the cylinder. This dumping action will now be described.

The plates are made slightly resilient, and are fixed at points 16 to the cylinder end frame 17. Their tree ano'ularly bent edges are provided with a reinforcing strip 18. which rests against the ends oi the adjustinc screws 11. A rock shaft 19. pivoted in the end frames of the cylinder. carries an adjustable screw tappet 20 and a tipping arm 21. A stationary block 22. fastened to toe frame 2-3 of the machine, is so set as to tip this arm when the plates arrive at a point just beyond. the top of its circular path and by turning the rock shaft, causes the screw tappet to spring back the plate and thus alloW any inserts that are caught thereby to drop into trough 15,hy which they are carried out of the cylinder. he trough 15 'may be covered at the lower end 30 so as to a belt28 as a preferred means of operation.

At 29, in Figure 4, is shown a box for catchin the thin rejects.

lolaimz- 1. A sorting machine comprising a rotatable cylinder of overlapping plates, one edge of eaohof'the plates capable of movement away from the stationary edge of the next plate and means for automatically tipping the plates in succession as they reach their upper position.

forfni Width.

2. A sorting maehine comprising a cylinder with a 861183015 overlapp ng plates, each plate being of resilient material, fastened;

rigidly at one edge and overlapping on the inside of the rigid edge of the adjacent plate, and automatic means for springing these plates when they reach the upper part of their revolution to open the gap and drop any ob ect caughttherein.

V 3. A sorting machine comprising a rotat 4. A sorting'niachine comprising a rot-atable cylinder, the cylindrical Wall oi which is made of a number of longitudinal overlapping plates and means for automatically tipping the plates ithruout their length so as to make an opening between them of uni- ELoFNenDsrnoi/i. 

